1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a barbecue grill assembly, more particularly to a barbecue grill assembly having a foldable side rack.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional barbecue grill assembly 1 which includes a cooking unit 12, and a support unit 11 having upright leg members 111, 112 for supporting the cooking unit 12 above a ground surface. A pair of side racks 13 are provided fixedly on the support unit 11 at left and right sides of the cooking unit 12 to permit placing of various barbecue utensils thereon. Since the side racks 13 extend from the leg members 111, 112 and are unfoldable, the barbecue grill assembly 1 thus occupies a relatively large amount of storage space when it is not in use.
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a barbecue grill assembly having a side rack which can be locked at an unfolded position when in use and which can be easily folded when not in use.
Accordingly, the barbecue grill assembly of the present invention includes a horizontal main frame, a resilient locking pin, an operating shaft, and a side rack. The main frame has a lateral frame portion provided with a mounting seat which is formed with a vertical operating hole that has a top opening, a horizontally extending elongated slide passage, and a receiving groove. The mounting seat has a side wall that faces laterally outward, and a bottom wall that is connected to the side wall. The mounting seat is further formed with an insert hole which extends from the side wall to the bottom wall and which includes a side hole portion formed in the side wall and coaxial with the slide passage, and a bottom hole portion formed in the bottom wall and communicated with the side hole portion. The locking pin is received in the mounting seat, and has a first end disposed fixedly in the mounting seat, a second end opposite to the first end, and an intermediate portion between the first and second ends. The intermediate portion extends across the slide passage, and is registered with the receiving groove. The operating shaft has a lower actuating end extending into the operating hole in the mounting seat and coupled to the second end of the locking pin, and an upper operating end projecting from the mounting seat via the top opening. The side rack has an insert rod which extends slidably into the slide passage of the mounting seat via the insert hole and which has an engaging end portion that is retained in the slide passage and that is formed with a peripheral engaging groove. The intermediate portion of the locking pin engages the engaging groove in the engaging end portion of the insert rod when the insert rod is extended into the slide passage, thereby retaining the side rack at a horizontal unfolded position, in which the insert rod extends horizontally through the side hole portion of the insert hole. The operating end of the operating shaft is operable against restoring action of the locking pin for moving the intermediate portion of the locking pin into the receiving groove so as to disengage the locking pin from the engaging groove of the insert rod, thereby permitting the insert rod to slide along the slide passage in an outward direction away from the main frame. The insert rod is turnable downwardly when the engaging end portion is registered with the bottom hole portion such that the insert rod extends downwardly through the bottom hole portion, thereby disposing the side rack at a vertical folded position.